On April 13, 2010, Consumer Reports announced it was giving the Lexus GX 460 sport utility vehicle (SUV) a Do Not Buy rating. This is a rare occurrence. The Do Not Buy rating for the Lexus SUV is the first one issued in nine years. The last one was for the 2001 Mitsubishi Montero Limited. Consumers Union, the nonprofit organization that publishes the Consumer Reports magazine and Web site, has labeled just 12 cars with this extreme rating over the last 31 years.

In test drives, Consumer Reports engineers discovered that when the GX 460 was pushed to its limits, the rear of the vehicle would slide out until it was nearly sideways before the electronic stability control system kicked in and righted the vehicle. They believe this means the vehicle is in danger of rolling over in certain real-world driving situations.

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Like many pet owners, you probably do your best to ensure your dog or cat is well taken care of. You schedule regular vet visits, you keep their vaccinations up to date, you make sure they get plenty of play and exercise, and you feed them the best food possible. But when it turns out the food you’ve so carefully chosen for your pet is somehow tainted, and then becomes the target of a nationwide recall, it can be a very upsetting experience.

Nature’s Variety recently issued, and then expanded a nationwide recall of some of their raw food product lines, specifically their Chicken Formula Raw Frozen Diets for dogs and cats, because they may be contaminated with Salmonella.

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After nearly a week with no word about the defective accelerator pedal, Toyota announced on Monday, that they would begin to ship parts to dealers and begin training staff to perform the repairs. Many dealers, frustrated with Toyota’s delays and lack of information have promised consumers to work round the clock to make the repairs.

The repair, which should only take about a half an hour, involves installing a steel shim in the pedal assembly which should eliminate the excess friction between the two pieces of the accelerator mechanism. Toyota claims that this friction is what causes the pedal to either stick in a depressed position or to return slowly to the idle position. The faulty gas pedal only includes parts manufactured by CTS Corporation in Elkhart, Indiana. The recall on the floor mats can be fixed at the same time. Although, Toyota asks that owners wait for a recall letter before contacting their dealer for appointments, some dealers plan to contact every buyer of a recalled model to explain and schedule the repair.

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In an unprecedented move, Toyota suspended sales of eight of its recalled models including two of its most popular models, the Camry and Corolla. Additionally, Toyota has shut down production at five of its manufacturing plants as the company assesses the damage and comes up with a game plan.

From Toyota’s website:
“Helping ensure the safety of our customers and restoring confidence in Toyota are very important to our company,” said Group Vice President and Toyota Division General Manager Bob Carter. “This action is necessary until a remedy is finalized. We’re making every effort to address this situation for our customers as quickly as possible.”

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After months of consumer complaints and at least four deaths, Toyota announced a recall of approximately 2.3 million cars that may potentially have a faulty accelerator pedal.

Recently, there have been reports of gas pedals sticking in an accelerated position. Toyota claims this is a rare occurrence that occurs when the pedal mechanism becomes worn and becomes harder to depress, slower to return to its original position and at worst, stuck in the partially depressed position.

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According to The Consumer Product Safety Commission, there have been 555 ATV fatalities in 2006. Of those 555 deaths, 111 were in children under the age of sixteen. In the same year, there were 146,000 reported injuries of which just under 40,000 were children under sixteen. The CPSC estimates that these figures are low, as they expect to receive additional ATV accident reports.

The Yamaha Rhino was introduced in 2003 and despite the growing number of Yamaha Rhino ATV rollover accidents, Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA refuses to issue a recall. Even though there have been reports hundreds of injuries and even deaths, there has still yet to be a recall on this vehicle. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that there’s something wrong with those numbers.

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Last week, PriCara, and Actavis Group, both announced that Fentanyl Duragesic Patches were being voluntarily recalled as a precaution from wholesalers and pharmacies.

Fentanyl pain patches are designed to deliver a controlled dose for patients suffering from moderate to severe chronic pain that cannot be treated by a combination of narcotic, short-acting or non-narcotic pain products. Fentanyl a is a powerful narcotic gel that if comes in direct contact with a patient’s or caregiver’s skin, it may cause difficulty breathing, produce life-threatening side effects and even death.

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Pharmaceutical company Merck & Co., announced a recall for more than 1.2 million doses of the vaccine Hib due to contamination risks on Wednesday, December 12th.
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A Michigan-based Ecology Center released results showing that even more toys were found to be contaminated and currently still on shelves.
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Yet another China-made product is being recalled in America. Wal-Mart is pulling two dog treat products from its shelves after consumers reported it made their dogs ill. A Philadelphia television station reported last week that a 2-year old Chihuahua died after eating Bestro Chicken Jerky Strips. The station reported that an autopsy found the dog died of an infection caused by toxic bacteria. The FDA is investigating.